Packing box

ABSTRACT

A packing box includes a first member which receives items in such a manner that the items are exposed at the upper half thereof, and which is provided with first and second through holes at a predetermined side at positions close to each other, and a second member which covers the upper side of the first member, and which is provided with a cut portion at a position corresponding to the first and second through holes, the cut portion being insertable into the first and second through holes. The first and second members can be locked to each other by inserting the cut portion into the first and second through holes. When the second member is separated from the first member, the items stored in the first member are exposed at the upper half thereof, so that the items can be displayed without taking them out.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to packing boxes for storing, for example, a plurality of items, and more specifically relates to a packing box suitable for storing blister packs containing relatively small electronic devices.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Hitherto, relatively small electronic devices such as headphones and small tape recorders are often sold in transparent resin packages called blister packs. Generally, when products are sold in blister packs, they are displayed by, for example, hanging them on a peg, that is, a bar fixed on a wall of a store in such a manner that the bar projects approximately perpendicularly from the wall. Blister packs are provided with through holes at the upper side thereof, and are hung on the peg by passing the peg through the through holes formed in the blister packs. Since blister packs generally have a thin shape and cannot stand in an upright position by themselves, the most popular way to display products contained in blister packs is to hang them.

[0005] On the other hand, packing boxes are used for transferring products contained in blister packs from a factory to a store, and multiple products are stored in each packing box. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a known packing box used for transferring products. With reference to FIG. 9, a packing box 900 is constructed such that it can be closed in a so-called tuck-end style at the top and is closed in a so-called snap-lock style at the bottom.

[0006] More specifically, the top closure is formed by bending three flaps 901, 903, and 904 which extend from three sides and tucking an end portion 902 of the flap 901 inward in such a manner that the flap 901 covers the entire area of the top side. In addition, the bottom closure is formed by bending four flaps 911, 912, 913, and 914 which extend from four sides by approximately the same length.

[0007] Since the top closure is formed in the tuck-end style, it is relatively easy to open the cover formed of the flap 901 and take out blister packs stored in the packing box 900.

[0008]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an unfolded view of the packing box 900 shown in FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 10, the length La, which is a length by which the flaps 911, 912, 913, and 914 for forming the snap-lock style closure at the bottom project (that is, the length of the flaps), is made relatively short. In contrast, since the entire area of the top side must be covered by a single flap 901 in order to form the tuck-end style closure at the top, the length Lb, which is a length by which the flap 901 projects (that is, the length of the flap), is made relatively long. Accordingly, the snap-lock-style closure is preferable from the viewpoint of reducing the area of a cardboard used for forming the packing box and the tuck-end-style closure is preferable from the viewpoint of making the cover easy to open. Normally, packing boxes are constructed such that only the top closures thereof are formed in the tuck-end style as in the package box 900 shown in FIG. 9.

[0009] When products in blister packs are displayed for sale, they are taken out from a packing box formed like the one shown in FIG. 9 one-by-one and are hung on a peg by inserting the peg through a hanging hole formed in each blister pack. Accordingly, there is a problem in that this work becomes very cumbersome when the number of products to be displayed is large.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In consideration of the above-described situation, an object of the present invention is to provide a packing box with which the items such as products in blister packs, etc., can be easily stored and displayed.

[0011] According to the present invention, a packing box for storing a plurality of items includes a first member which receives the items in such a manner that the items are exposed at the upper half thereof, and which is provided with a first through hole and a second through hole at a predetermined side of the first member at positions close to each other; and a second member which covers the upper side of the first member, and which is provided with a cut portion at a position corresponding to the first and second through holes, the cut portion being insertable into the first and second through holes.

[0012] The items are disposed in the first member and the exposed parts of the items are covered by the second member. Thus, the first member and the second member completely cover the items, thereby functioning as a packing box. The first member and the second member are reliably combined together by inserting the cut portion of the second member into the first and second through holes of the first member. In addition, when the second member is separated from the first member, the items stored inside the first member are exposed at the upper half thereof. Accordingly, the items can be displayed on a rack, etc., without taking them out from the first member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the construction according to an embodiment of the present invention (state in which a first member and a second member are separately folded);

[0014]FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an unfolded state of a packing box according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0015]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which one product is stored in the packing box according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0016]FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which products are stored in the packing box according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0017]FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a combined state of the packing box according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0018]FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a manner in which the packing box according to the embodiment of the present invention is locked;

[0019]FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a locked state of the packing box according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0020]FIGS. 8A to 8C are perspective views showing an example of a manner in which products stored in the packing box according to the embodiment of the present invention are displayed;

[0021]FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an example of a packing box of the known art; and

[0022]FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an unfolded view of the packing box shown in FIG. 9.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] An embodiment of the present invention will be further illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the construction of a packing box according to the present embodiment. The packing box of the present embodiment is formed by combining a first member 100 and a second member 200. The first member 100 is constructed such that the upper side thereof is exposed, and the second member 200 has a shape such that the second member 200 is able to cover the first member 100 from the upper side. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an unfolded view of the first member 100 and the second member 200.

[0025] In the present embodiment, items to be stored in the packing box are so-called blister packs, which are formed by adhering a transparent resin member on a board and disposing an electronic device between the board and the resin member. In the following descriptions, items to be stored in the packing box are referred to merely as blister packs. The first member 100 of the present embodiment is able to receive five blister packs in series. In order to store the blister packs in series, the first member 100 is formed in a relatively long, narrow shape.

[0026] More specifically, the bottom side surrounded by four side plates 101, 102, 103, and 104 has a relatively long, narrow shape, and the vertical size of the side plates 101, 102, and 103 is made smaller than one-half of the height of the blister packs. In addition, the vertical size of the side plate 104 at the back is made larger than the vertical size of the other three side plates 101, 102, and 103. The side plate 104 at the back, which has a large vertical size, is provided with two through holes 131 and 132, which extend symmetrically in the vertical direction at positions close to each other. With reference to the unfolded view shown in FIG. 2, the side plate 102 is provided with a protruding portion 105 at an end thereof. The protruding portion 105 serves as an overlapping part, and is adhered to an end portion of the side plate 104 so that a rectangular body is formed.

[0027] With reference to the unfolded view shown in FIG. 2, the four side plates 101, 102, 103, and 104 are provided with flaps 141, 142, 143, and 144, respectively, which extend from the side plates 101, 102, 103, and 104 toward the bottom side. The bottom closure is formed by combining the flaps 141, 142, 143, and 144 in the snap-lock style.

[0028] The side plates 102 and 103 at the right and left sides of the first member 100 are provided with extending portions 110 and 120, respectively. The extending portions 110 and 120 are folded inward first, and then downward, so as to form upright portions 119 and 129. Four slits 111, 112, 113, and 114 are formed in the extending portion 110 and the upright portion 119 at a constant interval, and four slits 121, 122, 123, and 124 are similarly formed in the extending portion 120 and the upright portion 129 at a constant interval. The slits are formed at positions such that the slits at the right side and the slits at the left side oppose each other. In addition, the width of each slit is made relatively small under a condition that the blister packs can be retained by inserting right and left end portions thereof into the slits.

[0029] With reference to the unfolded view shown in FIG. 2, the upright portions 119 and 129 are provided with end portions 118 and 128, respectively, and the end portions 118 and 128 are folded further inward. The extending portions 110 and 120, which extend from the right and left side plates 102 and 103, respectively, are connected to the side plate 101 in the front at connecting portions 101 a and 101 b, respectively, and the connecting portions 101 a and 101 b are provided with gaps wide enough to receive an extending portion 201 a of the second member 200 (that is, gaps corresponding to the thickness of the cardboard used for forming the packing box). Similarly, the extending portions 110 and 120, which extend from the right and left side plates 102 and 103, respectively, are connected to the side plate 104 at the back at connecting portions 104 a and 104 b, respectively, and the connecting portions 104 a and 104 b are also provided with gaps.

[0030]FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which one blister pack 300 is disposed inside the first member 100. The blister pack 300 is formed by adhering a transparent resin member 302 on a board 301 (on the front surface of the board in FIG. 3), and a hanging hole 303 is formed at the upper side of the blister pack 300. In addition, right and left end portions 304 and 305 are formed by bonding the resin member and the board in a flat shape. An electronic device, which is a product, is placed inside the transparent resin member 302 and the board 301.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, the blister pack 300, which is constructed as described above, is disposed inside the first member 100 by inserting the right and left end portions 304 and 305 into the slits formed at the right and left sides (slits 113 and 123 in FIG. 3). Since four slits are formed at each of the right and left sides, four blister packs 300 can be stored by using the slits. In addition, another blister pack 300 can be stored by inserting the blister pack 300 into the gaps formed at the connecting portions 104 a and 104 b, where the extending portions 110 and 120 and the side plate 104 at the back are connected. Accordingly, five blister packs 300 in total can be stored in series in the first member 100. As shown in FIG. 3, more than half of the blister pack 300 is exposed at the upper side thereof.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, the second member 200, which serves to cover the first member 100 from the upper side, is constructed of side plates 201, 202, 203, and 204 and flaps 211, 212, 213, and 214 which extend upward from the side plates 201, 202, 203, and 204, respectively. With reference to the unfolded view shown in FIG. 2, the widths of the side plates 201, 202, 203, and 204 are made the same as the widths of the side plates 101, 102, 103, and 104, respectively, of the first member 100. In addition, the side plate 202 is provided with a protruding portion 205 at an end thereof. The protruding portion 205 serves as an overlapping part, and is adhered to an end portion of the side plate 204, so that a rectangular body is formed. The top closure of the second member 200 is formed by combining the flaps 211, 212, 213, and 214 in the snap-lock style, and the bottom side of the second member is maintained open.

[0033] In addition, the side plate 201 at the front side of the second member 200 is provided with an extending portion 201 a so that the vertical size of the side plate 201 is made the same as the height of the blister pack 300. In addition, the vertical size of the other three side plates 202, 203, and 204 is made smaller than that of the side plate 201. More specifically, the vertical size of the three side plates 202, 203, and 204 is set to a value obtained by subtracting the vertical size of the side plates 102, 103, and 104 of the first member 100 from the height of the blister pack 300.

[0034] With reference to the unfolded view shown in FIG. 2, the side plate 204 at the back side of the second member 200 is provided with a cut portion 221 having the letter ‘T’ shape. More specifically, when the cut portion 221 is seen in the state in which the packing box is completed, it has the inverted letter ‘T’ shape and is connected to the side plate 204 at the upper side thereof. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the cut portion 221 is provided with end portions 222 and 223 having a predetermined width. When the cut portion 221 is seen in the state in which the packing box is completed, the end portions 222 and 223 extend toward the right and the left at the lower side of the cut portion 221. The width of the end portions 222 and 223 is determined such that the end portions 222 and 223 can be inserted in the through holes 131 and 132 formed in the side plate 104 of the first member 100. More specifically, the width of the end portions 222 and 223 is made slightly smaller than the length of the through holes 131 and 132. In addition, the distance between the end portions 222 and 223 (that is, the width of the T-shaped cut portion) is made larger than the distance between the through holes 131 and 132.

[0035] The manner in which the package box is formed by combining the first member 100 and the second member 200 and the products (blister packs) are stored inside the packing box will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7. In a packing process, the blister packs, which are the products, are disposed inside the first member 100 as shown in FIG. 4. With reference to FIG. 4, five blister packs 310, 320, 330, 340, and 350, each blister pack having the same shape as the blister pack 300 shown in FIG. 3, are prepared. Four blister packs 320 to 350 are stored in an upright position by inserting the right and left end portions (which correspond to the end portions 304 and 305 shown in FIG. 3) into the slits 111, 112, 113, and 114 and the slits 121, 122, 123, and 124. In addition, the remaining blister pack 310 is stored in an upright position by inserting the right and left end portions thereof into the gaps formed at the connecting portions 104 a and 104 b, where the extending portions 110 and 120 and the side plate 104 at the back are connected. In the state in which the blister packs 310 to 350 are stored in the first member 100, more than half of each blister pack is exposed at the upper side thereof. In addition, since the vertical size of the side plate 104 at the back side of the first member 100 is larger than the vertical size of the other side plates, the side plate 104 serves to support the blister packs 310 to 350 stored in an upright position.

[0036] Then, the packing box is completed by covering the first member 100, in which the blister packs 310 to 350 are stored, with the second member 200 in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 4. When the first member 100 is covered by the second member 200, the extending portion 201 a of the side plate 201 at the front side of the second member 200 is inserted into the gaps formed at the connecting portions 101 a and 101 b, where the extending portions 110 and 120, which extend from the right and left side plates 102 and 103, respectively, are connected to the side plate 101 at the front side of the first member 100. In addition, an upper portion of the side plate 104 at the back side of the first member 100 is tucked inside the cover formed of the second member 200. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the state in which the first member 100 is covered by the second member 200.

[0037] In the present embodiment, the right and left end portions 222 and 223 of the T-shaped cut portion 221 formed in the side plate 204 at the back side of the second member 200 are externally inserted into the through holes 131 and 132 formed in the side plate 104 of the first member 100. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the T-shaped cut portion 221 is lifted up once, and one of the end portions, for example, the end portion 222, is inserted inward through the through hole 131, and then the other end portion 223 is inserted inward through the through hole 132, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 6. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the T-shaped cut portion 221 is inserted into the packing box.

[0038] Since the T-shaped cut portion 221 of the second member 200 is inserted into the first member 100 as shown in FIG. 7, the first member 100 and the second member 200 are locked to each other. Accordingly, the first member 100 and the second member 200 are combined together and the second member 200 does not become separated from the first member 100, SO that the combined body of the first member 100 and the second member 200 serves as a packing box. The first member 100 and the second member 200 are locked to each other at only one part. However, since the extending portion 201 a, which extends from the side plate 201 at the front side of the second member 200, is tucked inside the first member 100, separation of the second member 200 from the first member 100 is also prevented at the front side thereof. Accordingly, the products (blister packs 310 to 350) can be reliably protected while they are being transferred.

[0039] In addition, in the case in which the products are displayed on a rack, etc., the second member 200 is removed from the first member 100 by disengaging the lock formed by the T-shaped cut portion 221 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 4 at the lower side thereof, the products are exposed while they are arranged inside the first member 100. Thus, the products such as the blister packs 310 to 350, etc., which cannot stand in an upright position by themselves, can be easily displayed merely by disposing the first member 100 on the rack without taking the products out from the first member 100. Accordingly, compared with the case in which the blister packs are hung on a bar called a peg one-by-one, labor for displaying the products can be greatly reduced. In the case in which the products are displayed in the above-described manner, the through holes 131 and 132 used for forming the lock are hidden behind the products, so that the display appearance is not degraded by through holes 131 and 132.

[0040] Also in the case in which the blister packs are hung on a peg, they can be easily displayed by using the packing box of the present embodiment. FIGS. 8A to 8C are diagrams showing a manner in which the products are displayed in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8A, a horizontally-extending peg 11 retained by a peg retainer 10 is prepared. As shown in FIG. 8B, the peg 11 is inserted through the through holes 303 formed in the blister packs 310 to 350 without taking the blister packs 310 to 350 out from the first member 100. After the peg 11 is inserted through the through holes 303 of all the blister packs 310 to 350, the first member 100 is pulled downward as shown in FIG. 8C. Accordingly, only the blister packs 310 to 350 are hung on the peg 11.

[0041] When the products are hung in the manner shown in FIGS. 8A to 8C, all the products contained in a single packing box can be hung simultaneously, so that time and labor for displaying the products can be greatly reduced compared with the case in which the products are hung on the peg one-by-one.

[0042] Although the packing box of the present embodiment is constructed by combining two members 100 and 200, the area of the cardboard required for forming the packing box is almost the same as in the case in which a packing box is formed of a single member. The packing box of the known art whose unfolded view is shown in FIG. 10 and the packing box of the present embodiment whose unfolded view is shown in FIG. 2 are able to contain the same number of products having the same shape, and the reduction rates of the unfolded views shown in FIGS. 10 and 2 are the same. By comparing FIG. 10 and FIG. 2, it is understood that the area of the cardboard used for forming the packing box of the present embodiment is only slightly larger than the area of the cardboard used for forming the packing box of the known art. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the packing box of the present embodiment can be made almost the same as the manufacturing cost of the packing box of the known art shown in FIG. 9. Since the packing box of the present embodiment is opened by disengaging the lock and separating the first and second members 100 and 200, both the top closure and the bottom closure can be formed in the snap-lock style, which serves to reduce the area of the cardboard.

[0043] Although the products in blister packs are considered as the items to be stored in the packing box in the above-described embodiment, the present invention may also be applied to packing boxes for containing other items. In addition, although five items (blister packs) are contained in a single packing box in the above-described embodiment, the packing box of the present invention may also be designed to contain more of less than five items. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A packing box for storing a plurality of items, the packing box comprising: a first member which receives the items in such a manner that the items are exposed at the upper half thereof, and which is provided with a first through hole and a second through hole at a predetermined side of the first member at positions close to each other; and a second member which covers the upper side of the first member, and which is provided with a cut portion at a position corresponding to the first and second through holes, the cut portion being insertable into the first and second through holes.
 2. A packing box according to claim 1, wherein the length of one side of the second member, the side being opposite to the side at which the cut portion is formed, is made approximately the same as the height of the items, and the length of the remaining sides is made smaller than the length of the side opposite to the side at which the cut portion is formed.
 3. A packing box according to claim 1, wherein projecting portions with a plurality of slits are formed inside the first member at the right and left sides thereof, and wherein the items are retained in an upright position by using the slits.
 4. A packing box according to claim 1, wherein a top closure of the second member is formed by combining members which extend from four sides of the second member. 